New Delhi
6 September 2005
The Chinese ambassador in India, Mr Sun Yuxi, on Tuesday
refused to be drawn into a historical debate over the longstanding Sino-Indian border
dispute saying "it is out of fashion to talk about the past" and suggested both countries
adopt a "forward-looking attitude".
The envoy made those observations in response to a question about Defence Minister
Pranab Mukherjee's references to Chinese "invasion" of Arunchal Pradesh in 1962 and
border dispute with China, which had triggered a sharp reaction from the Chinese consul
general at a seminar in Mumbai on Sunday.
In the same breath, he, however, went on to seek refuge in history to explain China's
opposition to the G-4 (India, Japan, Germany and Brazil) proposal on United Nations
Security Council expansion. He cited Japan's world war II record to explain why Beijing
would not endorse India's candidacy.
Eager to put an end to the debate generated by Chinese consul general's remarks in
response to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee's comments in Mumbai about the 1962
Sino-Indian war, the ambassador said the two countries were "partners, not rivals". "We
are friends, not enemies," he told a news conference.
Mr Sun later told this correspondent that the presence of a "very large disputed area"
was one of the reasons why China has not been able to resolve the border dispute with
India. China has resolved its border dispute by delimiting and demarcating its boundary
with 10 countries except India and Bhutan.
He, however, was optimistic that the two countries will seize the opportunity to resolve
all outstanding issues. "The strategic partnership between the two countries has created
a better atmosphere to remove misunderstandings and both countries need to seize this
opportunity," the ambassador observed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao in
New York later this month on the margins of the UN General Assembly session. The
Chinese envoy said the Prime Minister's special representative and National Security
Adviser MK Narayanan will also fly to Beijing soon.
Mr Narayanan will meet with his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo to carry forward
dialogue on the political parameters and guiding principles to find a solution to the
boundary question. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will also pay a five-day visit to
China from Wednesday.
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